Category: Guide to better beer

how to discover new beer to try

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The Beer Chicks save Christmas

Count me as a big fan of the Beer Chicks and now with the holiday’s fast approaching they have multiple ways to help out the holiday craft beer shopper.

1 – “By popular demand and for a limited time (and a limited price), you can now buy a private 2 hour customized Beer Tasting for up to 8 people with one of The Beer Chicks as your guide! Its the ultimate foodie gift experience.”

2 – “Already bought your pain in the a, hard to shop for brother all the gift cards you could find at Costco? Well, now you can stop worrying and click right here for our new online gift certificates for the 8th Street Bottle Shop. You can buy them online to print out or email immediately, or request that we send out a pretty and enveloped copy to your very lucky so and so.”

Or you can just get your special beer someone this…..

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Christmas Beer of the Day – Biere de Noel

Brewery – Snake River

Beer – Biere de Noel

The Details:
“A spiced Belgian style Ale for cozying up with, BDN has grains of paradise, Anise and dried figs added for festive revelry. Only available at the pub, we also have an extremely limited amount of bottle conditioned Biere De Noel which makes for a great present. Stop in and grab one before they’re all gone!”

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Christmas Beer of the Day – Bad Santa

The Brewery – Pelican Brewery

The Beer – Bad Santa

The Details:
“You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, the brewers at Pelican are telling you why: Bad Santa will arrive November 3rd. This mysterious dark elixir is filled with complex malt flavors and aromas with toasted malt and roast character, blending seamlessly to the alluring herbal hop aroma that comes from copious amounts of Fuggle hops. Bad Santa doesn’t care if you’ve been naughty or nice, he wants this beer on your list.”

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Christmas Beer of the Day – Lagunitas Sucks

The Brewery – Lagunitas

The Beer – Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale

The Details
“This sad holiday season we didn’t have the brewing capacity to make our favorite seasonal brew, the widely feard BrownShugga’ Ale. So this substitute beer is a ‘Cereal Medley’ of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats…. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.6% abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor.”

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Review – Vertical Epic 11/11/11

The latest Vertical Epic from Stone Brewing is next for review…..

All you need to know about the latest Epic
11.11.11 Vertical Epic Ale, the penultimate installment of its legendary series. Begun on February 2nd, 2002 (02.02.02), these bottle-conditioned ales have all been Belgian-influenced, but they share little else in common, with each year’s release revealing its own twist and turn in the plotline.

Each beer is unveiled one year, one month and one day from the previous year’s edition, with all of them designed to be aged until sometime after 12.12.12, at which point they can all be enjoyed during an epic “vertical” tasting. This year’s recipe starts with a base beer akin to a Belgian amber, and is tweaked with the addition of mild but flavorful Anaheim chilies from New Mexico’s Hatch Valley and cracked cinnamon sticks.

“Stone 11.11.11 Vertical Epic Ale is NOT your typical chili beer!” explains Brewmaster Mitch Steele. “The famous mild green chilies from the Hatch Valley in New Mexico add layers of delicious flavor with a very mild heat component. And the cinnamon doesn’t dominate the beer’s flavor by any means, instead adding a subtly complex spice note that blends amazingly well with the Hatch chilies and the banana esters present from the yeast.”

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Christmas Beer of the Day – Bifrost

The Brewery – Elysian

The Beer – Bifrost

The Details
“Pours golden with orange highlights. Smells alluringly sweet like caramel apples with a little spice and orange zest. Taste is bold and balanced with a good amount of citrus and earthy hop bitters to offset the malt character. Finishes dry with a bit of fruit.”

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Tovarish

When I get a press release that says “Beachwood BBQ & Brewing to Release….”, my ears perk up and I fire up WordPress because Julian does awesome work. So without further ado….

“Well craft beer fans… you asked for it and it’s finally here.
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing Tovarish Imperial Espresso Stout will be
released on Wednesday, November 30th at the brewpub in Long Beach.

One of Brewmaster Julian’s most highly coveted beers, Tovarish is a
bold Russian imperial stout brewed with a base of British Maris Otter
barley and heaping amounts of roasted barley and specialty malts. It’s
finished with a touch of blackstrap molasses along with espresso
brewed with the finest Arabian Mocha-Java coffee from our friends at
Peet’s. Tovarish is remarkably rich and complex. Savor the layers of
roast and dark fruits with every sip.

A lucky few might remember back to Julian’s homebrew days when he
brewed this incredible stout as a guest at Pizza Port Solana Beach.
It’s the same great recipe, but this time it’s been carefully crafted
on Julian’s 10 BBL system here at Beachwood in downtown Long Beach.

Starting at 6pm on 11/30 you’ll be able to grab your first pour at our
Tovarish Release Party. NOTE: Growler fills will be available ONLY AT
THIS EVENT. We’ll also have special menu items and Julian will be on
hand to talk about his brews. Tovarish Imperial Espresso Stout will be
available on draught only. 11.2% ABV

 Cheers!”

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Christmas Beer of the Day – Winter Bock

The Brewery – Silver City

The Beer – Winter Bock

The Details
“The weather outside may be frightful, so stay indoors & drink beer! Winter Bock’s blend of five different German and domestic malts lend a deep, rich color and mild roast character to this classic winter lager.

Just as old world brewers aged their beer in snow-covered cellars, SilverCity stores Winter Bock for five weeks at near freezing temperatures. Cold conditioning makes Winter Bock the smoothest, most flavorful way we know to celebrate the winter season.”

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Christmas Beer of the Day – King Henry

The Brewery – Goose Island

The Beer – King Henry

The Details
“Aged in bourbon barrels, King Henry is a burgundy hued English-style barleywine with aromas of vanilla, oak, and dark fruit. Caramel and toffee flavors blend together with bold notes of bourbon delivered in a smooth body followed by a malty finish. No matter the occasion, King Henry promises a regal drinking experience.”

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Christmas Beer of the Day – North V

The Brewery – Fort George of Oregon
The Beer – North V

The Details
“This year we took another Holiday Icon, The Fruitcake, and designed our Winter Seasonal in its’ honor.

A mash of barley, oats, wheat, rye, rich caramel and honey malts are mildly spiced with Cascade and Saaz hops, fermented with Fort George House Yeast then allowed to condition on hand-splintered, rum inspired oak. A Glase Fruit concoction that includes cherries, pineapple, orange and lemon peel is dissolved into the finished beer to add the final touches.

While designed and bottled to age, we are sure this version of the Fruitcake will not be passed down for generations, but opened and imbibed at many a cheerful gathering. 7.5% abv. IBU’s Hard To Tell”